Interreligious Dialogue

[AMCrenshaw]

I am a practicing Zen Christian, looking to enter a dialogue with an Evangelical or Fundamental Christian. If you are interested, PM me. We would discuss one topic per week for a couple of weeks, and then say Peace Be With You and go about our lives.


These are some guidelines for our discussion:

http://astro.temple.edu/~dialogue/Antho/decalog.htm

Thank you.

AMC

[Doodlebug]

I am a practicing Zen Christian, looking to enter a dialogue with an Evangelical or Fundamental Christian.

Okay, this is a new one on me. What is a Zen Chrisitian? :Huh:

[AMCrenshaw]

A follower of Christ who uses Zen meditative practices and contemplates Zen principles/philosophy to deepen his or her sense of what is real.

There is also the implication that Christ was a mystic and that meaning, significance, or purpose for humankind can be known from "the foundation of the world"; Jesus Christ reveals these meanings through his teachings, parables, and life (which are given to us in a few ways, one of which is Fable; another is Being, etc).

The idea of the contemplative is to empty the mind of all attachments, and, in the the experience of that emptiness, become open to the true face, the true nature of God, Being, or Consciousness.

More questions I will not answer outside of a dialogue. They only serve to allow assumptions to form...

AMC

[windyrdg]

Zen Christian is a new term for me too. Sounds like what was once called a mystic.

[AMCrenshaw]

Right, but the Christian mystic may or may not give attention to alternative practices (such as Zen meditation!) that guide their mysticism...

AMC

p.s. As I said, I'm not trying to encourage discussion in this thread. Too quickly might it become something else...

[AMCrenshaw]

Looking again. Genuine interest only.

PM me!



AMC

[Bartholomew]

Okay, this is a new one on me. What is a Zen Chrisitian? :Huh:

Buddhism actually has no Gods, no idol worship, no magic, no person-worship. I see people mix Buddhism with the religion of their choice all the time. When my father was still alive and running his Buddhist e-group, (It was sort of a local Buddhist phone book) he would frequently get calls from Vietnamese newcomers who would want to know the location of the nearest temple of their sect--followed immediately by the location of a nearby catholic church.

For more information, check out, "That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist. (http://www.amazon.com/Thats-Funny-Dont-Look-Buddhist/dp/0060609583)" by Sylvia Boorstein.

[Pat~]

"Zen Christian" is probably an individual designation, rather than an actual defined belief system. For example, Thomas Merton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Merton) might have been considered by some to have been a "Zen Christian" though he never called himself that. He was a Christian first, in doctrine, a monk who used Zen meditative practices later in life to enhance his prayer life. Buddhism and Christianity are two very different belief systems, though the mystical practices in each might look similar. There are 'mystics' of many different religious faiths. Mysticism is simply a 'style' or approach to one's faith that is heavily oriented in the sense of union with one's God. Being a mystic of any religious faith is often a matter of one's spiritual 'personality' as much as anything else (eg. the apostle Paul was a Christian mystic). Personally, the Christian mystics have contributed deeply to my own faith; many of their top-notch writings can be read at the CCEL (http://www.ccel.org/search?qu=mystics) website.

AMC, we've PMd before, and you know I'm always open. Write anytime.

[AMCrenshaw]

Again, let me please ask that no one comment on the content of the request.

Answer it, or leave it alone.

AMC

[Pat~]

AMC, you're free to ask that people not ask you more questions in this thread about what you've posted. But people are free to comment on your opening post, particularly if they're trying to discern just what it is you are saying. Anytime you post an opening thread you open yourself up to people discussing what you've posted. Keep that in mind.

[flutecrafter]

I am a practicing Zen Christian, looking to enter a dialogue with an Evangelical or Fundamental Christian. If you are interested, PM me. We would discuss one topic per week for a couple of weeks, and then say Peace Be With You and go about our lives.


These are some guidelines for our discussion:

http://astro.temple.edu/~dialogue/Antho/decalog.htm (http://astro.temple.edu/%7Edialogue/Antho/decalog.htm)

Thank you.

AMC
I'll send you a pm shortly

mark